


I'm With You (There's Nothing I Won't Do)

by goodfellowe



Category: Wolfwalkers (2020)
Genre: Backstory, Canon-Typical Religion, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Pining, Post-Canon, Trauma
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-09
Updated: 2020-12-09
Packaged: 2021-03-10 09:09:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27968096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goodfellowe/pseuds/goodfellowe
Summary: When morning arrived, the smell of burnt trees and smoke burning sharp and pungent in the back of her throat, Robyn realized that nothing wouldeverbe the same again.In the wake of Cromwell’s attacks, Mebh, Robyn, and their parents attempt to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives and try to find their place in a world that doesn’t welcome their kind.
Relationships: Robyn Goodfellowe/Mebh MacTire
Comments: 42
Kudos: 168





	I'm With You (There's Nothing I Won't Do)

**Author's Note:**

> As with many of my fics, this contains spoilers to, well, basically the _entirety_ of the film. If you haven't seen (or read, as I have) Wolfwalkers, I highly advise for you to do so.  
> Although not deserving of it's own tag, this does contain some references to canon-typical religion (which will be a recurring theme). I use Oliver Cromwell and Lord Protector interchangeably. Additionally, a minor character dies early on in the chapter. If you'd like to skip this, skip the entire first section and start reading at _Kilkenny, Ireland - 1650._  
>  As with my previous works, this is unbeta'd and unrevised as my editor has not yet seen Wolfwalkers and I don't want to spoil it for them. Please forgive me for any glaring mistakes.  
> The title was ripped (and slightly modified) from Vance Joy's _I'm With You,_ while the chapter title is from AURORA's _Conqueror._  
> 

Huntingdonshire, England - 1647

Beneath Bill’s feet, the wooden floors of his home produced unnerving sounds, creaking and groaning as if trying to catch his attention. Maybe it knew what Bill knew, the wooden mug in his hands burning hot and carrying an unnatural weight to it. _Perhaps it was all in vain,_ the floors whispered, clacking as the pressure shifted from the heels of his feet to the tips. _You’d better distance yourself while you still can, avert your eyes and let the doctors take her in the morning._ Nobody would know that his wife’s final breath had been a lonely, desperate one, denying her fate but embracing it all the same.

_Save yourself the grief while you still can. The less you see, the less it’ll hurt._

It was a thought that crossed Bill’s mind for a brief second, but one he’d never truly consider. He had always been sweet on his wife from the day they had met, her elven frame and gorgeous eyes catching his gaze from the minute they had first made eye contact with each other, loved her something fierce. He wouldn’t let her die alone and unloved. 

He could still try to delay the inevitable, could help her carry on a little longer. Sooner or later, someone would know how to save her- be it a doctor or a pagan witch- and she’d be back to normal in no time. There would be light in his wife’s eyes again and her smile would return, dazzling and radiant. Everything would be okay if they just had more _time._

Stepping inside of what had once been their room before his wife had fallen ill, Bill cleared his throat to announce his presence. Despite the stone fireplace positioned across from the bed where his wife lay, crackling with tamed fire that hissed and spat sullenly, the room sent a shiver down his spine. He set down the cup onto a drawer, picked up a few logs of firewood and set them carefully into the fireplace, and then went back to his bed, sitting next to his wife.

She was no longer the woman she had once been. Her skin was pale, almost translucent, her face gaunt and hollow. She was all skin and bones with heavy bags under her eyes and blonde hair sticking to her flushed forehead. With a deep sigh, Bill brushed hair and sweat away from her face, wishing that he had thought to bring a rag with him.

“I brought you some tea,” He said, gently propping her head up. Her breathing was shallow, every inhale a struggle and every exhale a wheeze. “Peppermint. It’ll help.”

With a steady hand, he lifted the mug to her pale lips. She didn’t speak, obediently taking a few slow sips before pulling back and bursting into a violent coughing fit. Bill cringed at the fresh specks of crimson blood that dotted the neckline of her nightgown, lowering the cup and allowing her to catch her breath.

“You’ll be better soon. Can you drink any more?”

“Bill…”

“How are you feeling? Are you too cold? Hot?”

 _“Bill,”_ She spoke up, her words firm but scratchy, almost inhuman. She opened her eyes, pale and grey and _lifeless,_ fumbling for her husband’s hand. He took both of hers, clasping them in his own. Oh, how they _burned_ against his skin, as if he were a sinner looking into the _Book of Kells_ instead of a grieving man beholding his dying wife. “I’m not going to make it.”

“Don’t say that.” He squeezed her hands, clammy and brittle in his own. “Any day now, the doctors will come and heal you. We just need a little more time, and you’ll be fresh as a daisy. You just have to keep holding on…”

“I-”

“For me, for Robyn…”

She turned her head away to her shoulder and coughed, wet and thick and rasping deep from within her chest. “There _is_ no time. I _have_ no time.” She croaked, squeezing his hands with the strongest grip she could manage and looking back over to her husband. There was blood on her chin now, deep and red, and Bill couldn’t bring himself to let go of her to wipe it off. “I need you to promise me that you’ll keep her safe.”

Bill didn’t say anything, only watched as the woman he loved so dearly struggled to breathe and form a coherent sentence. Her beautiful eyes that once reminded Bill of winter mornings were red, puffy and glazed over, and she already looked more dead than alive, an apparition of some kind, a ghost trying to say her final message.

So Bill let her, heart aching in his chest.

“You must protect her. This world is not safe for a girl like her,” She wheezed, rubbing the back of Bill’s hands with her thumb. “You _must,_ Bill, _promise_ me that no matter what happens, you will protect her.”

“Always, my dear.” With one hand, he let go, wiping away the blood on her chin and cupping her cheek.

“Promise me.”

“I promise I’ll protect Robyn.”

“Thank you,” She said softly, her voice raspy. Bill watched as she moved her left hand to hold the one that held her face, leaning into it, her breathing becoming slower, the pauses between each breath growing longer and longer. “I love you.”

“I love you too. Forever.”

She seemed to want to say something else, but it eluded her as her hand slipped away from Bill’s, her head growing heavy in his hands. Bill sat and watched her eyelids flutter shut, blonde lashes stark against ghostly white skin, and waited. He waited for her to say something else, to take another breath, for her eyes to quiver under her eyelids, but she never so much as stirred.

Her final breath rang out throughout their small home, staying with Bill even when he finally moved his hand away from her, hanging over him as he hung his head and dragged himself upstairs, his steps as heavy as his heart. He peered into ~~their~~ _his_ daughter’s bedroom, tucking her in. She looked nothing like Bill and everything like his wife, her mother, from her narrow face to her soft, upturned eyes to the way her hair framed her face as she slept. As he tucked her in, he listened to her breathe, so far removed from his wife’s, breathing slow and steadily, pink lips opening to let out a soft sigh. Only nine years old, Robyn was still innocent, so full of life and oblivious to fate’s cruel hand and the world’s injustices. His wife was right, always was. She deserved to keep that innocence- it had to be nurtured, cherished, protected for as long as he could manage.

He had made a promise, after all.

* * *

Kilkenny, Ireland - 1650

When morning arrived, the smell of burnt trees and smoke hung heavily in the air, burning sharp and pungent in the back of Robyn’s throat. It was much too early to call this time of day _morning,_ the sun still lazily creeping up into the sky, pale rays weak and watery, filtering into the cave and silhouetting the two wolves that sat side by side at the entrance. Eyes weighed down by the desire to drift back into dreamworld, Robyn thought nothing of the hushed growls and mumbles that came from her father and Mebh’s mother, clear and coherent as English to Robyn’s ears, and instead curled back into Móll’s chest and admired the girl before her with a sigh.

In Móll’s other arm sat Mebh, her knees pulled up to her chest and head nuzzled into the crook of her mother’s neck. Her freckled face was flushed with sleep, dark lashes stark against tanned skin, and she looked so at peace, as if last night hadn’t happened and instead had been a figment of one of Robyn’s many fairytales, a telltale symptom of an overactive imagination.

Gently, Robyn brushed a loose strand of vibrant hair from Mebh’s face, tenderly tucking it behind her ear. She listened to the steady rhythm of Móll’s heart and allowed her eyes to flutter shut, trying to lull herself back to sleep, but it was fruitless. She was already awake, all too aware of her surroundings, to drift back to sleep now.

Last night was like a stain on her mind, vivid and heavy. She had been brave, sure- it wasn’t like she had been presented with any other choice- but in the wake of it all, it felt more like a burden. She could still remember the hot flames that licked at her tail, the cannon that had sent her flying, the glint of the moonlight reflecting off of Cromwell’s sword and the hatred that burned _bright_ in his eyes…

Robyn shook her head. Her father had killed Cromwell, or maybe Cromwell had killed himself, she wasn’t sure. What she knew was that he was gone now, gone for good at the bottom of the waterfall. The worst of everything was over.

“They’ll be back.”

Robyn looked over to the two wolves that sat at the clearing, one cold and ashen, the other warm and vibrant. Her father’s words were grim, a low rumble in his throat, and with his tail curled close to his body, it was clear that he was uncertain.

“The Lord Protector preached his quest to tame Ireland as a direct command from God. Some soldiers won’t be so keen on fighting after last night; they have families, wives, children. Others…”

“How much time do you suppose we’ll have to leave?”

“The sooner, the better.”

“Then we’d best get going as early as possible. Leaving in the day with all of these wolves will be hard. We’ll have to find your body.”

“I have to get back to Kilkenny. All of Robyn and I’s things are still there.”

“Well, you certainly can’t be doing that without your human body, now can you?” Móll asked. There was a lightness to Móll’s tone, a halfhearted attempt at warmth and familiarity, but the tension that hung heavily between the two was thick enough to be cut with a knife. “Our priority right now needs to be getting your body back and leaving as soon as possible. You can always get more _things.”_

“You’re right, I suppose.” Bill said gruffly, letting out a sigh. Robyn climbed out of Móll’s arms, careful not to wake Mebh. No longer fueled by adrenaline and fear, Robyn was sore from having been running around and thrown last night. Her buckled shoes tapping along the stone floor of the den let the two know that she was awake and she approached them from behind, hands clasped together.

“So we’re leaving? For good?”

“We have no choice,” Móll said solemnly, hanging her head. “Majority of the woods have been burnt down. We’re lucky we still have our hides.”

“How long will you two be gone?”

“We shouldn’t take too long.” Móll stood up, gently nudging Robyn with her head. “It’s the smoke in the air that’s the problem. Masks everything with its nasty smell, makes it difficult to find anything. We won’t be gone too long.”

“Good, ‘cause if Mebh wakes up and realizes you’re gone again…”

“I know. It won’t be pretty. But you’re here, and the wolves are here, and she’s not so lonely after all.” She said warmly. “We’ll still be in the forest. You two can howl for us if she needs any confirmation that we’re still here, okay?” She reassured Robyn, who had absentmindedly begun to pet her father’s coat. 

“Okay.” She nodded. 

“Stay safe,” Bill said as he rose, nuzzling Robyn. She sighed and nodded, watching as the two began to leave. “We’ll be back before you know it.”

Alone, Robyn looked back at what remained of the pack. They were all curled up into each other, thankful that last night’s disasters would one day become a distant memory. There wasn’t much she could do now but wait, and that’s exactly what she did as she paced- wait and wait and wait- until eventually, Mebh stirred, letting out a soft yawn and stretching out in Móll’s arms.

“Mornin’, Mebh.”

“Mornin’, townie,” She said absently, enjoying being in her mother’s arm for a second longer before her constant desire to be moving got the best of her and she climbed out, walking over to Robyn with a bounce to her step that slowed and had dissipated entirely by the time she had made it to the taller girl. “Where’s me ma? Yer dad? I didn’t dream last night, did I?”

“You weren’t dreamin’, no. They went to find my father’s body.”

“Without us?” Her brows furrowed together with concern and distrust, already weary. “What if they get caught again?”

“They won’t, not this time. There’s no way some silly soldiers are going to be here this early in the morning.” Robyn smiled, placing her hands on Mebh's shoulders. “That’d be a death sentence.”

“But…”

Robyn pursed her lips, watching the shorter girl. She fidgeted nervously, eyes flitting about the cave as if trying to make out her mother in the dark. She knew that there was no comforting her. She had lost her mother _twice_ in such a short span of time that trying to reassure her with the fact that lightning doesn’t strike twice- when it clearly _had-_ was like talking to a stone wall. Instead, another thought came to her.

“Why don’t we make some use of ourselves? We have to leave soon, anyway, but all of my father and I’s stuff is still in Kilkenny.” She squeezed her shoulders with a smile. “We’ve got to get it back or he won’t be too pleased.”

The worry in Mebh’s eyes was quickly replaced by one of mischievous intent, always eager to do what she wasn’t _supposed_ to. “Alright!” She began to run back to Móll, light on her feet.

“Where are ye goin’?”

“To transform! We’ll be twice as fast with four legs.”

“Mebh, are ye _mad?_ They’ll kill us if we go in as wolves, and they aren’t too fond of us as humans, either. I’m sure my father’s face is already plastered all over Kilkenny.”

Mebh threw her head back. “But bein’ a human is sooo _borin’.”_

“Sneakin’ into a town where you’re _wanted_ isn’t entertaining enough for you?” Robyn raised an eyebrow. “If we’re there soon enough, we’ll be able to get our hands on some fresh town tasties for the trip.”

_“Fresh?”_

“They’re so good when they’re fresh. _Much_ better than when they’ve been sittin’ out in the elements all day.” Robyn smiled as she began to leave and thankful when Mebh followed. “It’s so warm and savory. It melts in yer mouth.”

“That _does_ sound really good.” Mebh said, flashing Robyn a fanged smile. Robyn smiled back before looking forward, watching Mebh run ahead and taking in the cold, brisk air of the morning. The woods were no longer the vibrant array of greens and oranges that Robyn was used to, towering high into the sky. The grass beneath them was crisp and ashy, crunching beneath Mebh’s bare feet and making Robyn thankful that she was wearing shoes, even if they were uncomfortably tight, pinching her feet. The smoke was much heavier when they walked through the remains of it all, suffocating, and Robyn wasn’t sure what’d be better- continuing to breathe through her nose, or pinching it shut and risk having to taste the smog through an open mouth.

“I can’t believe it’s all gone,” Mebh had slowed down to allow Robyn to catch up to her, her words encapsulating all of her thoughts.

“I know. Just like that.”

“Just like that.” She echoed, breathless as she took her hand, and Robyn looked over to her. Mebh was usually an open book, easy to read, always had been in the short time that Robyn had known her. Her brows got bushy when she was angry, the hair raising as if they had a life of her own. There was a certain sparkle to her eyes when she was happy, a glint to them when she was sad, but now she was _unreadable,_ expression blank but not hopeless or of despair. Just… _there._ As if she didn’t have any feelings about it either way, which felt oddly out of place to Robyn.

Sneaking into Kilkenny proved to be a difficult task. Soldiers stood around the walls, standing broad-shouldered and tall, weapons in hand, prepared for anything. Mebh could climb the stone walls easily, knowing exactly which brick stood out of place, just where she could wiggle her fingers into, but Robyn struggled, eliciting laughter from Mebh that made her cheeks flush. Traversing across the roofs of homes proved to be another difficult task- it was almost harder on two legs instead of four and Robyn froze every time she thought somebody had caught her- but then they were on the ground, cobble hard and unforgiving compared to the soft soil of the forest and the smell of Kilkenny assaulting her senses.

Kilkenny was exactly how Robyn remembered it- all of the wooden homes stacked together, neat and orderly, grass growing dense and springy between worn down cobblestone paths and the Lord Protector’s castle looming over the rest of the town- but despite the grey skies and clouds that hung low in the sky, whispering promises of another night of rainfall, Kilkenny seemed… _alive._ The streets were full of life as people chattered and sold items at stands, going about their daily lives. There was music and singing and dancing in the centre, Gaelic and English alike, celebrating the downfall of Cromwell. Although soldiers on standby attempted to quell this _nonsense-_ as the Lord Protector himself would’ve put it- there was nothing they could do to settle Kilkenny down.

“So, where to, townie?”

“My home’s this way, just past the center of town,” Robyn explained, keeping her head down and wishing she had her hood. Maybe Cromwell was dead, but she had every reason to be wary of the soldiers. They were still clearly following orders, meaning that he must’ve had _some_ sort of second-in-line to take his place. Mebh followed, taking in the sights and smells with big, green eyes.

“Aren’t we goin’ to get some town tasties first?”

“We gotta get my father and I’s things first!”

“But there aren’t too many soldiers out now and I’m hungry!” Mebh said, flashing Robyn a smile that made her heart flutter. She took her other hand and swayed them, trying to keep up with the rhythm of a fiddle being played. “They’re goin’ to be cold if we get to them later! Besides, nobody’s going to notice us! We don’t even _need_ to be sneakin’ about! We’ve got all the time in the world!”

“They’re goin’ to be cold either way if we stand here arguing about what we need to do first,” Robyn smiled, stepping back from Mebh only to be pulled back in. They quickly entered a steady rhythm of dancing- if it could even be called that- the two girls light on their feet as they spun to the music. 

“Then why are we arguing! I’m right!”

Robyn laughed. “You’re _really_ not!”

“We won’t be able to steal anything if we’re running around with all of you and your pa’s stuff!” 

“Well, for one, I’ve got a _satchel_ to carry things in!” Robyn said with a bright smile as she twirled Mebh, not necessarily minding their supposed ‘argument’. The two had danced through the crowd and were on the other side now, only a few homes away from what had once been she and her father’s home. “Two, we’ll have money, so we won’t even _need_ to steal!”

“Where’s the fun in all of that?!”

Robyn scoffed playfully, twirling Mebh away from her before letting go. “You disgust me!” She smiled as she began to walk towards her home. Robyn chased after her, hooking her arm through hers.

“Awe, ye don’t mean that, do ye, townie?”

“I certainly do,” She smiled as she opened the door. “And we both know I’m no _townie_ anymore.”

“That’s not true, _townie,”_ Mebh poked her stomach. “You love me!”

Something about the way Mebh said _love-_ or maybe it was the fact that she had said it at all- made Robyn pause. Her cheeks felt hot and she wondered if she was blushing (oh, how _embarrassing_ that would be) and she struggled to come up with a proper thing to say.

Luckily enough, Mebh had that covered as she removed her arm from Robyn’s grip, wandering through the little cottage that had once been she and her father’s. It was virtually unchanged, cobwebs still on the roof where Robyn had yet to clean, tools hanging from the wall and dirty dishes were still strewn about on the table from the other day’s dinner. Robyn closed the door behind them and hurried to tear down the _WOLF WANTED_ poster, crumpling it up and kicking it out of sight.

“So, whaddaya even need, anyways?” Mebh looked back at her. “Ye won’t need any silly, frilly dresses when you’re living with my pack.”

“I don’t even own any _‘silly, frilly dresses’,_ but I sure can’t be walking around in this scullery uniform anymore. It’s _impossible_ to run in it.” Robyn hoisted herself up onto the ladder, climbing up to her ‘room’ and drawing shut the sheet that separated it from the rest of the house so she could change in peace. 

“Yer not tellin’ me we came _all_ the way to some stinky, smelly town so you could change yer clothes. My ma could _make_ ye some new clothes!”

“Not just that! We need lots of things! Traps, money, blankets, water, food-”

 _“Food?!_ Ye don’t need to bring _food!_ Yer a wolfwalker now, you can hunt like the rest of us!”

“Well, for one-” Robyn peered out from behind the sheets, glaring down at Mebh. “I don’t know how to hunt,”

“Didn’t you tell me you were a hunter the other day?” Mebh smiled smugly. “I knew a townie girl like you couldn’t be a hunter!”

Robyn scoffed, grabbed the first piece of discarded clothing she could find, and threw it at Mebh’s face. “I meant as a wolf, with my teeth and whatnot, you dolt!”

Mebh only laughed as Robyn crawled out, brushing out her shirt and tying the neck of her hood. It was nice to be back in her hunting suit, nice to be wearing pants she could run in and shoes that didn’t uncomfortably pinch. “Besides, have you ever eaten a vegetable?”

“Of course not!”

“Exactly! No wonder you stink so bad,” Robyn smiled, searching through the house until she grabbed two satchels.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“That you need a bath,” Robyn held out a satchel to her.

“It’s not like you smell any better, townie,” She took the satchel and peered through it before looking around, hesitantly grabbing a rope for traps and haphazardly shoving it in, mostly in hopes that she’d get to see Robyn caught hanging upside down in one again. “Takin’ baths suck. Washes all the good stuff right off of you!”

“I’m not even going to ask what that means, but if you get to packing, I won’t ask your mother to make you take a bath.” Robyn picked up some soap, shoving it in, and the two got to work. Robyn grabbed what was primarily essential- money and food that would last, some seeds for gardening that had gone untouched (maybe she could grow some vegetables at their new den), her mother’s cloak, clothes and blankets- while Mebh grabbed purely what caught her eye, finding everything unnecessary.

Then, the familiar voices of soldiers were heard.

“Damn Goodfellowe,” One of them, his voice deep and gruff, scoffed. “Thinks he can just run off whenever he feels like it when things don’t suit ‘im.”

“Bloody traitor’s what he is.” Another said, absently rapping on the door and causing Robyn to freeze, shooting Mebh a look. The two shared a silent expression before Robyn nodded up to the ladder and began to climb up. Mebh followed suit, light on her feet. “I don’t understand why the Lord Protector thought he’d be any sort of a hunter. I don’t think I’ve seen him kill a single wolf in his entire stay here.”

“Now he’s dead, so at least there’s that.” The door opened and the two soldiers stepped in, sweeping the house. 

“We don’t know that.”

“We’ll be burnin’ down the rest of the woods tonight, anyways. If he’s still alive, he won’t be for any longer. He’s got what’s coming to him.” The first soldier said, scanning the room before looking up at the rafters. The wind blew it ever so slightly, and although the window was _mostly_ covered, the faintest shadow could still be seen.

He furrowed his brows. “Hey, who’s there!?”

Robyn’s eyes widened and she turned to the window, fumbling to get it open as Mebh looked through the discarded clothes that Robyn hadn’t found necessary to take with her.

“Come out now!” The second soldier added. “This is an order, and if you don’t come out now we’ll take you to the stocks!”

“Mebh, come on!” Robyn whispered as tossed out the satchels onto the roof and started to climb out, looking back to Mebh. She had rolled up a spare shirt into a crumpled little ball and was headed towards the sheets. _“Mebh?!_ What are you _doin’?!”_

“We won’t be goin’ to any stocks anytime soon!” Mebh said with a giddy smile, peering out from behind the sheets and throwing the shirt at the two before shoving Robyn out of the window and following suit. 

“Why did you _do_ that?!” Robyn asked as Mebh helped her up, not letting go of her hand as she took off. She grabbed both of the satchels and followed Mebh as the soldiers yelled threats and tried to chase after, slow on their feet and unable to get onto the roof because of the window's small size.

“They burnt down me home!” Mebh explained as if it were the simplest thing in the world. “The least they deserve is some gross old shirt in their face!”

“That’s so- _my shirt isn’t gross!”_

“Smelt that way!” Mebh laughed as she dragged Robyn from rooftop to rooftop. Something about how _simple_ this all was to her, how nonchalant she was about annoying a couple of soldiers simply for the fun of it and quite possibly running for their lives _again_ brought a stupid smile to Robyn’s face. She was happy to be running with her, feeling light and airy on her own feet as they climbed down the walls of the castle and immediately took each other’s hands again, into the remains of the woods. Mebh’s giddiness was contagious and Robyn was _exhilarated_ and the two ran through the remains of the woods until there was nothing but a faint breeze and chirping from birds here and there. Mebh slowed to a stop, allowed Robyn to catch her breath, and then crossed her arms.

“We didn’t even get any town tasties,” Mebh realized.

“Maybe if you didn’t throw my _old, gross shirt_ at those soldiers, we would’ve been able to get some.”

“They were goin’ to catch us either way. Why would you hide in front of a window and a white sheet, anyway? Of _course_ they were goin’ to see our shadows.”

“Neither of us were thinking,” She shrugged, throwing a wistful glance down to Mebh’s hand and wishing she could hold it again. Now that they were still, she could comfortably throw one of the satchels over her shoulder and carry the other in her hand.

“And now I’m still hungry.”

“Me too,” Robyn admitted. “When we’re all settled down, I’ll make you some town tasties. They aren’t too hard to make over a fire, and although they might not be as lush, they’re still delicious fresh.”

“Are they _really_ town tasties if they’re made in the woods?”

“Well, if a townie’s the one making it…”

“I thought you weren’t a townie anymore.” Mebh looked over to Robyn with a smile that made her heart flutter. Suddenly, she was thankful that she was no longer holding Mebh’s hand- she could feel how clammy they got in an instant and she wiped her free hand onto her cloak.

“I’m trying to offer you a solution and you just aren’t having it,” Robyn shook her head with a sigh. “Last time I try to do anything for you.”

Mebh laughed and walked ahead, always quick on her feet and allowing Robyn a moment to take in her thoughts. How much time had they spent in Kilkenny? It was already late afternoon and as winter crept up, the days grew shorter and shorter. Already, the sun was setting and the moon rose quietly over the corpses of the burnt trees, spindly and black. 

Robyn hated that she felt this way about Mebh. She cared about her, yes, more than _anything_ in the world, but that was what scared her. The way her heart fluttered at the mere thought of her and how her fanged smile alone lit up an entire room and her newfound, recent development of getting flustered in the cottage, unable to put thoughts into words, greying out. If she kept up her foolishness, Mebh would figure out just _how_ she felt about her and then their friendship would go completely down the drain, just like that.

Worse, however, was the fear of slipping up in front of her father. It was easy enough with Mebh, who seemed to be equally affectionate with her, but her father wouldn’t be so quick to brush something like that off. Just because he was a wolfwalker now didn’t mean that he’d be willing to accept _other_ crimes against nature.

The smile on her face had quickly faded as she watched Mebh walk. She was pretty, alright, but that didn’t mean Robyn had to _dwell_ on it.

“What’s keepin’ ya, slowpoke?” Mebh asked, turning back to Robyn. Snapped out of her thoughts, she realized that she had stopped walking completely and ran to catch up.

“Oh, nothing!”

“You just stopped walking for no reason?” Mebh asked, bemused, and nudged Robyn. “What’s on yer mind?”

“Lots of things.”

“Like what?”

“The fact that you’re makin’ me carry _both_ of these satchels. What’d you even put in this one?” She held it out to Mebh, who carried it with ease.

“First things I found. I’m not really sure,” Mebh shrugged. “Can you really make town tasties over a fire?”

Thankful for the subject change as they hiked up the hill, their steps slow and in unison as Mebh hooked her free arm through Robyn’s, she nodded. “My mother used to make it when she didn’t want to go into the marketplace to buy bread. She called it a _damper,”_ She explained as Mebh hooked her free arm through hers. “We’d eat it with meat and cheese. It was _so_ good.”

“I’ve never thought of eatin’ meat with town tasties,” Mebh commented absently. Before Robyn could speak, her father’s voice- sharp and commanding- rang out from the den.

“Robyn! Mebh!”

“We’re- we’re here, father!” Robyn pulled her arm out of Mebh’s grip and waved, speeding up. “We’re alright!”

Entering the cave, Robyn looked around. The wolves were all awake, the caravan Móll had set up pulled out from the shadows, and her father was _mad._ Robyn’s heart dropped- was Mebh hooking her arm through hers too far?- but before she could dwell on it too long, his arms were around her, pulling her close. 

“Mebh,” Móll said, relieved, taking her daughter into her arms. “We were afraid you two got found by soldiers.”

“We told you to stay,” Bill said firmly, pulling back and taking in Robyn’s outfit. “You- you went to _Kilkenny?”_ Although Robyn had expected her father to be angry, it was clear this wasn’t the case. His expression was grim, shadows running dark beneath his eyes. Fear. 

“... You were talking to Mebh’s mother about how you wanted to get your stuff back but… it was easier for us to do it.”

He let out a deep sigh. “Robyn…”

“I’m… sorry, father. I only wanted to make things easier.”

“I know, but things are dangerous now.” He let go. “You can’t just wander off like that. _Especially_ when we don’t know what’s going to happen. Those soldiers could still be on our tail. They could’ve captured you two and that could’ve caused another mess that’d be causing more trouble than it’s worth.”

“Bill is right.” Móll said solemnly, following his actions

Robyn was quiet, stealing a glance at Mebh before rubbing her arm. Mebh was the one to speak, unaccustomed to lectures, never having to watch her mouth around her mother or worry that she was stepping on her toes. “Soldiers are comin’ back tonight. We heard.”

Robyn nodded. “They’re goin’ to burn the rest of this forest down when they get the chance.”

“Then we have to leave.” Móll stood up, looking from Bill to the wolves. “Now. No more time to waste.”

Getting the caravan out of the woods ended up being a struggle, as Móll had never planned on having to be secretive when she first left; simply getting up and leaving would’ve been enough for her. In the back of the caravan which rocked side to side, enticing Robyn to drift off to dreamland, she stared at the roof, listening as Mebh conversed on with her mother. After a moment, she sat up, peering out from the back of the caravan.

She couldn’t see the lights of torches, but she could hear every footstep the second group of soldiers took and could taste the ash from the torches they burnt. She could hear them shouting orders, faint and incoherent, too far away for their words to make any sense, and she realized that the conversation had died suddenly. There was something heavy that hung over the caravan, from Móll who drove to the wolves who followed and everyone in between.

There was no turning back now. Their woods were gone for good.

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally going to be a lighthearted fic. I swear. ~~I just have a bad habit of making everything I write really, really tragic.~~
> 
> Anyways... wow! Lots to establish in this first chapter, from Bill and Móll's (rightfully) rocky relationship, to everything going on in Kilkenny, to Robyn's guilt about her feelings for Mebh and... everything else that happened. I apologize for how fast paced everything seems, it flowed _much_ better as one chapter.  
> While I adore their story, the ending always bothered me. It didn't feel right for them to go from something so tragic and heavy to happy smiles and beautiful landscapes. This is my attempt to make sense of what happened inbetween Bill being invited to join their pack to them riding off to their new home in Móll's caravan.  
> Also, I actually haven't seen Wolfwalkers, and have instead been relying heavily on the graphic novel and clips I've found on YouTube. If I've missed anything important, I apologize sincerely. I will be seeing it (at home) this Friday and any incorrect information will be updated as seen fit.
> 
> As always, I hope you enjoyed reading. Comments are always appreciated, no matter how big or small. :)
> 
> ~~Also, Secret of Kells reference! Yay! I like to think that Kells, Song of the Sea and Wolfwalkers all take place in the same world at different timelines, so this probably won’t be the last reference you’ll read!~~


End file.
